Mail box



F. P. DE NOBILI, DECD.

F. P. DE NOBILI, EXECUTRIX- MAIL BOX. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 24. 1921.

Patented Jan. 17, 1922.

nya.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK PIER-O DE NOBILI, DECEASED, LATE OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, BY FANNIE PIBRO DE NOBILI, EXECUTRIX, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

MAIL BOX.

Application filed March 24, 1921.

To (ZZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that FRANK Piano Di: NonILI, deceased, late a subject of the King 0. 5 Italy, and a resident in the city and county of Los Angeles, State of California, did invent a new and useful Improvement in Mail Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in mail boxes, and the object of the invention is to provide a device of this nature which is simple and inexpensive in construction, and in which provision is made to effectually prevent the unauthorized removal therefrom, or the destruction of or tampering with, letters, parcels, or the like, through the inlet opening, once the same has been deposited therein, and thus obviate the risk' of theft or destruction of the mail, a possible occurrence in mail boxes not so provided.

The object is attained by the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which- Figure 1 is a face view of the entire mail box;

Figure 2 is a side view ofthe entire box;

Figure 3 is a cross section taken on the line AB of Figure 1 as the mail box appears when the flap of the box is closed.

Figure 1 is a cross section taken on the line 11-13 of Figure 1 as the mail box appears when both ends of the mail box are closed.

Figure 5 is a cross section taken on line AB of Figure 1 as the mail box pears when the flap and door of the mail are wide open.

Figure 6 is a plan view of the mail box.

Similar figures of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views.

The mail box consists of a suitably formed casing 1 of any desired shape, being shown substantially rectangular in the drawing, and it is closed on all sides and top and bottom, with a suitable door 2 for the authorized removal of the contents, the front wall of the casing being provided with an opening 3; covering said opening is a flap 4, which is opened and closed by a drip 5, and pivoted to the mailbox on pin 8, by pulling upward on the drip 5, the wall 4 of the flap is moved backward into position so that the opening 3 is unobstructed as shown in Figure 5. In this position the mail box is the apbox Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 17, 1922.

Serial No. 455,282.

ready to receive mail, said mail being put through the opening 3 into the bottom of flap marked 4. lVhen the drip 5 is released the inlet opening is closed automatically and covered by flap at, this motion allowing the mail to drop into the mail box.

QAt lower portion of the front face of mail box is formed a door 2 which opens and closes on its hinges 12 as shown in Figure 1. and can be securely locked by placing pad lock through 13. Formed at lower portion of door 2 is a glass opening 14 as shown in Figs. 1, 3, 4, and 5, the object of said opening being to see any object that is in the bottom of the mail box; above this opening is formed another opening 15 the object of which is to place an identification card.

The operation of the device and its utility will be apparent, on reference being had to the drawings, particularly Figs. 3, e and In Fig. 3 the mail box is shown closed and it will be noted that the opening 3 is completely covered by the flap 1 and that no admittance can be had to the interior of the casing unless the flap 4 is pulled upwardly by means of the drip 5. This has the effect of bringing the parts into the position shown in Figs. 4 and 5, in which it will be seen that the upward movement of the drip 5 will swing wall 4 backward and flap bottom 4 forward causing it to completely close the opening to the mail box but at the same time giving access to the mail chute 1 allowing mail to drop into the mail box, as shown in Figure 3.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the mail cannot be withdrawn through the opening 3.

Positioned on the outside at the bottom of the mail box is a flag or signal 16, which. is pivoted to the side of the mail box by means of pin or rivet 17. In the inside of the mail box is a dog 18, which is also pivoted by pin or rivet 17, said dog 18 engages a dog which is attached to the door 2. This dog having a projection 19 which is made of spring material that will only bend forward. The flag or signal 16 is put down in a horizontal position while the door 2 is closed, said flag or signal 16 cannot be released until the door 2 is opened as the projection 19 clasps the dog 18 and when the door 9- is opened the signal or flag 16 being released is then automatically pushed upward to a perpendicular position.

It will be seenfthereiore, that there has beendevised a simple and inexpensive mail box out of which the unauthorized removal of mail, or its destruction, is prevented in a practical and etlicient manner. c

Limitation is not confined to the complete mail box construction shown, in so far as individual boxes are concerned, as the essential elements of the invention, that is flaps 4, 4, 4", and 4, together with flag attachment, may be applied with equal facility tosuitable openings in doors, lockers or any other receptacle provided for the deposit therein of mail or other matter.

What is claimed is:

1. A mail box of the character described having a mail inlet 3, flaps 4, 4", 4 and drip 5, flaps 4, 4 and 4 being of one piece of metal of curved shape terminating with a parallel straight flap, and connected hingeably and swingably to upper part of the mail box and operated by means of the drip 5; flap 4 when raised by upward movement of drip 5 opening the inlet opening 3 of the mail box swinging flap 4 forward causing it to completely close entrance to the inside of the mail box, but at the same time giving access for the deposit or" mail through opening 3, into the bottom'of flap 4, said flap 4 when closed through downward movement of drip 5 closing inlet opening 3 which movement of said flap 4 swings flap 4 backward thereby opening flap 4, so as to permit the mail to drop into the mail box.

2. A mail box of the character described having a mail inlet 8, flaps 4, 4", 4, and drip 5, and a flag or signal attachment at the lower side section of the mail box pivotally connected with a dog, said flag or signal and dog engaging a dog pivoted at the door of the mail box, said dog pivoted at the door having a projection thereto, the flag or signal being put down in a horizontal position when the door of the mail box is closed, the projection of the dog clasping the dog pivoted to the flag or signal when flag or signal is in the horizontal position, said flag or signal not being releasable until the door of the mail box is opened, which movement automatically pushes theflag or signal upward to a perpendicular position.

FRANK PIRRO DE NOBILI, By MRS. FANNIE PIRRO DE NOBILI,

' Ewecutriw. 

